Gabe & Sonya wanted to adopt Esther, but didn't live in a dog friendly rental, so they did what any determined couple would do - they decided to look for a home that would accept her. They searched high and low until they found a place that was fine with dogs, but on the fence about dogs that look like Esther (ie, blocky heads). No problem. They did such a fine job introducing the topic of adopting a pit bull to their maybe-landlord and maybe-neighbors that they got full support from everybody. Esther is now happy at home and enjoying her new life. Gabe & Sonya sing in a folk band called 'Tiny Home,' and their new pup is one of their biggest fans. Good work, everybody!

Many thanks to Dave & Clare for giving Esther a safe place until she could come to live in the Rescue Barn. You saved a life and made this family complete. 

ADOPTED This smiling brindle came to us following the death of her NorCa rescuer and adopter. She's still getting her bearings but is quick to show everyone how delightfully calm, obedient and connected she is. She lived with a male dog in her former home and might enjoy that same arrangement again. You can meet Ollie in our Pit Ed classes on Saturday. Stay tuned for more info and photos of this little orphan.

Alison and Mike's landlord said 'NO' when they first inquired about adopting Gumbino, but instead of giving up, their friendly approach convinced her to peek in on BR's Pit Ed class where she could see his great manners in person along with all the support they'd be getting for their new dog. She was impressed, but not entirely convinced. 
By listening to her main concerns, we all identified important items that could be smoothed out in a pet addendum to their lease. The addendum included clauses such as their promise to maintain a pet insurance policy, their obligation to not disturb other tenants or neighbors, pick up dog mess, obey the leash law and other items that conscientious dog owners are happy to do. It worked! A & M got the green light and Gum is now a permanent part of the family.

Big congrats to Alison and Mike (and Gum!) and major KUDOS to the landlord for helping this couple turn a rental unit into a real live home. More info on RENTING with dogs.

One of our more celebrated rescues of 2012 was 'Olive,' whose painful shelter past and well documented recovery while in our program inspired thoughtful public conversations in social media and in our trainings throughout the year. This blog post on her ordeal caps out as one of our all time most popular postings. OLIVE

Olive went on to join a family with another dog named Zoolander and a cat and was officially signed over during Christmas week. Her new 'mom' told us, "She's the best Christmas present I've ever received!" To see Olive so loved and so happy in her new life - We couldn't be happier!

Tallulah told us right up front is that she required in an adopter who was big on touch - She thrived on it! So it was with great pleasure when we watched potential adopter Dana wrap her arms right around Talu for a big hug during their first meeting. She was transferred to us from rural Louisiana after being swept up in a small time dog fighting case. The Parish where she lived had always destroyed these cruelty victims, and she was set to lose her life. But times are changing and thanks to the many precedents set, authorities heard our collective pleas and her life was spared.

Such an exceptional dog. Tallulah served as a mentor for pups and undersocialized adult dogs while she was with us. She now has a dog and several horses in her life. It seems she was always meant to be a country girl, but this time, her owner won't stop hugging her. That's heaven on earth for this beautiful survivor.

Many thanks to the shelter-less diehards of the Delta Humane Society in LA for championing Tallulah's cause and working to save every last dog from that case.

Tater earned his public fame by being one of our bigger "project dogs." He'd been terribly spoiled in a series of homes and with zero rules, he was a serial Brat - causing problems and mischief wherever he went. His original rescuer begged for mercy and during a weak moment, we said 'Yes.'  So he came to our program to learn about things like boundaries and working for your dinner and not bouncing off of people's chests as a way to say hello. He's an adorable guy though, and while we scratched our heads over who might want to adopt such a drivey stinker, the barn crew volunteers started teaching him nosework to help his focus. His natural talent for the game helped us start a conversation with his new mom Ellen, who is a K9 handler for a police department in Virginia. She offered to give Tater a try and fell fast in love with him. He's now a member of their family and is much loved. We still laugh at how much havoc he caused in our corners, but we're especially grateful that he's now well loved -- and well mannered. More on Tater's 'Boot Camp' days.

Possum was a very shy, very sick little girl when she arrived at our doorstep. Tests confirmed the worst: She had parvo. Yikes! But with such a pretty face and sweet disposition, we had to dive in and make it all better for her.

After a couple of weeks of supportive care and begging her to eat little spoonfuls, she finally sprang to life and showed us what a survivor she was. What sick dog? Her gentle nature attracted the attention of Meredith and James and their dog Loper. It was love at first sight for all involved and Possum went home to roost. She showed us all how happy she is about her new life by earning her Canine Good Citizen certificate in record time after her adoption. Way to go Awesome Possum and Meredith!

Mila was caught up in a cruelty case in a rural parish of Louisiana. Because her abuser had been fighting some of his dogs, she was destined to be destroyed under a current state law that allows authorities to destroy "fighting dogs" swept up in cruelty cases - a law that has been used to kill untold numbers over the years. But a rescuer and a local veterinarian said "No" and tucked Mila and several other dogs in safe surroundings to buy them some time (there is no animal shelter in her LA parish).

Thankfully, a District Attorney and a judge heard our collective plea to give her and all the other dogs a chance - and they agreed. A first for this part of the country. Then a kind couple who'd never met a pit bull before offered to drive her and two other dogs cross country to our adoption program. Mila lived at our Rescue Barn until a family fell in love. She's living the good life now with her very own little girl and is the apple of her family's eye. 

Welcome to your Life, Miss Mila!

Hugo came to us with his mom and sibs when a mild case of ringworm knocked him out of the shelter's adoption program. He healed quickly, then got busy with being a puppy as only puppies know how.

He soon attracted the eye of the de Jesus family, which means Hugo got his very own little boys (yay!) and an older sister dog who was more than happy to show him the ropes. In the photo, he's meeting his new mom for the very first time. It looked like love to us.

All is well now -- He's doing great and enjoying the first summer of his new life. Welcome home Maka-Hugo!

Riley came to us from a Shasta County animal shelter as a pup with his brother Ruben. They'd both been passed over again and again, and were looking so sad and rejected that we couldn't help but say 'yes' when a rep from their shelter sent their photos and asked for help. This tender heart of a dog was initially overwhelmed by life in the big city, but his foster mom showed him the ropes and he got the hang of things right away. 

Alison Lufkin and her family were hoping to find a young dog that had enough youngster energy to play with the kids, but without all the fuss of a puppy. We knew just the dog. And so the rest is history. Riley is the life of their party and he's slowly worming his way into the heart of their girl dog, Grace.

We just love this photo of Riley with his new family. They're all heart in more ways than one.

Ayse is a trail blazer of sorts. She came back to Oakland after we met during BR-related work in Ohio, just as Cleveland was getting ready to make some progressive changes in its animal laws and policies. Such an exciting time! When she hit the internet, she signaled to everyone that something really wonderful was happening back in her birthplace. Her adopters Rudy and Jarvia are holding a sign in honor of the city leaders who stuck their necks out for dogs like her in 2011. By removing their BSL and opening their shelter doors to pit bull adoptions, Cleveland became a safer, more humane community and dogs following Ayse now have a second chance at life.

This girl symbolizes big change to many people, but to Rudy and Jarvia, she simply represents family -- As she should! Now an Oaklander for keeps, Ayse's adopters adore their bouncy vixen and tell us that she's brought love and a whole lot of laughter to their home. 

For a peek into Ayse's foster home adventures, check out her Blog, written by foster mom Ana.

Rescued from a central valley shelter, Josephine moved into the Rescue Barn with her mother and siblings as a tiny pup. She chased butterflies, ran through tall grasses and practiced the fine art of being a puppy while the world smiled and coo-ed at her photos. Josephine was nearly 'Elliot's dog' until a wee girl named Stella came along and claimed her as her new best friend. You can't argue with that!

We captured this sweet pup's time spent with Uncle Elliot in this photo essay.

A good samaritan spotted Miss Birdy on the streets of Oakland when she was nothing but a skeleton and very close to the end. She laid a trail of kibble back to her car, which Miss Birdy gobbled and followed. She happily climbed inside and collapsed on the back seat -- she was finally safe. Birdy came to live in our barn where we hoped to fatten her up and learn who she was. On top of her starvation, Birdy was very sick with cancer. But even with lymphoma, she let us know that she had every intention of living large while she was here. She loves her creature comforts, adores being the center of attention and grins with a broken toothed little grin anytime she thinks someone is looking at her. 

Her photos circulated around the net and caught the eye of Anneke, who felt that they belonged together. She went on to be the pampered princess she was meant to be, and for as long as her little body will hold out. These are the kinds of happy endings that keep us raising our hands whenever senior dogs show up in our local shelters asking for help. 

EDIT: Birdy finally passed on after several months in her new home. RIP little girl!

Molly found herself at Berkeley Animal Care Services in her golden years. This senior was understandably shaken by the turn of fate. At her advanced age, a veterinarian surmissed that the large masses all over her abdomen were cancerous, which may have discouraged her former family from keeping her. We were willing to take her, cancer or not. No old dog deserves to be displaced like she had, so she moved right in with foster parents Nancy and Erich while we puzzled over her condition and next steps. 

Bruce and his wife Eva saw our facebook post welcoming the sweet lady to our program and raised their hand to adopt her. After all, they were both vet techs and had access to wonderful specialists who would help solve the mystery of her imposing bumps. Even better, they had a warm home with three other dogs and a young son who would treat her like family. Within days she was home with them, cozying up for this photo. Her name is now Keeley - and, lo and behold, her tumors were benign. This lucky girl has a lot more life left in her, thanks to the many people who stuck their neck out to make sure she got a chance.

Her nickname was Emma Dilemma back when she was an orphan and we were all trying to figure her out. She'd found herself at Berkeley Animal Care Services and was so depressed about her situation that we had to guess she's been a princess in her former life. Her time in the Rescue Barn was a little better, but her life didn't really start until she finally moved home with adopters Dan and Mary Sue Thomas. Now the queen of their castle, she couldn't be happier. Congrats on your new family Emma! We almost didn't recognize you with that big smile you've been flashing.

She found herself caught in the shelter system, but her super hero powers got a message through to BR headquarters: "Help me. I've got work to do to change how the world see pit bulls." We obeyed.

Once in foster care, Betty caught the eye of Mike and Kim, but an evil villian stood in the way of their adoption: The insurance company that covered their lease discriminated against Betty's breed type. Not to be discouraged, Mike and Kim got busy with helping their landlord find a new and better insurance company.

Success! Their strategy was perfect and super hero-inspired. Now they're all living as a happy family in San Francisco.

Look for Betty on the cover of the Unexpected Pit Bull Calendar. Yee Haw!

Retha earned a spot in our Ambassadog kennels at Oakland Animal Services when it seemed she needed a little help getting caught up on her social skills with other dogs. She sailed through her lessons and became a favorite playmate to some of the boys. Retha is now in her new home for keeps after being courted by Claudia and her beau, Thomas. Thomas is an Oakland Police Officer and he told us that he's brought so many strays to the shelter during his shifts that he knew he wanted to give a home to a shelter orphan once the time was right. Retha's now the center of their universe and counts a young boy named Angel as one of her very best friends. Congrats to the whole family!

Sweet Ollie is such an unassuming, good hearted fellow. He earned a kennel in our Ambassadog program and learned his manners so quickly that he made dog training feel like kids's work. One day a couple showed up with a simple request: They'd never had a pit bull type dog before, so needed a 'beginner's dog,' and, one that would get along with their very old, very feeble little minpin. It took all of 12 seconds before we collectively chimed --- "OLLIE!" Their Roxie turned out to be even more feeble than we expected, but even with missing teeth and tired old bones, she still managed to give Ollie some old fashioned Bitchy Queen attitude and lay down the law. Perfect! Jim and Kathy have become a steady fixture in our Saturday classes and Ollie is still being the perfect pupil and listening to their every word. To celebrate his new home, he recently earned his Canine Good Citizen certification. We just love happy endings like this!

We get so many requests for help from out of county rescuers and it always pains us to have to say 'No' to their special dogs. But one inquiry was impossible to ignore: A woman witnessed her neighbor beating his beautiful tan dog so, while he was away, she secreted her to a safe hiding spot before she could be killed. The dog had a big bump on her skull from her beatings but remained cheerful and optimistic. It was clear she couldn't stay in this town so we moved a few mountains to make room for her in Oakland.

We named her Josie Kat and fell fast in love with beautiful face and resilient spirit. We had so much fun with her while she was with us and almost hated to see her go to her new home - Almost! Josie scored a wonderful new life with Nafia and James. Many thanks to the brave rescuer who first brought her to safety. You did a wonderful thing.

When we introduced this gentle brindle gem on our available page, an adoption was already pending. Rarely do we search shelters to hand-pick a dog for a potential home, but this home was different. Peter had already fallen hard for another BR dog, but the match up wasn't quite perfect. He stayed patient for months, so we kept our eyes open for just the right dog. We found one in Sweet Pea. She is easy going, cat friendly, dog social, and a therapy dog in the making. She came out of a NorCA shelter where a local Pit bull advocate sponsored her heartworm treatment while a foster home gave her a safe place to heal. Fast forward a few months: Since Sweet Pea’s adoption was finalized, she's earned her Canine Good Citizen certification and has become fast friends with her two feline roomies. Thank you Peter for waiting for her to appear. Sweet Pea is so lucky you did!

Aberfoil was such a clownish punk when we first met him at Oakland Animal Services, that we even caught our ever-patient trainer Sara counting to ten on some days. He was determined to jump jump jump, so she taught him it was okay to use the springs in his legs as long as he avoided using human body parts as a launch pad. Fine!

Aberfoil became highly skilled at impersonating a kangaroo and would hop hop hop in front, next to, and around people as high as possible with the biggest "Lookit ME!" grin he could muster. Good lord Aberfoil!

We used to wonder who would ever fall for the Dorkish Wonder, but Carol and Hank put that question to rest when they became family. Sir Aberfoil! Our shelter memories of you will always make us slap our foreheads, roll our eyes and break into goofy giggles.

She was a senior-in-crisis when we met her at Oakland Animal Services. Not eligible for their adoption program due to her age, she was destined to end her 12+ years at the shelter. Her warm personality made this a particularly difficult decision, so we begged up a foster spot as part of our Compassion Hold project to help make her final days as peaceful as possible. Gemma lucked out when Kerry raised her hand to help the damsel in distress. In her own words: "Sweet old Gemma seems to have decided to stick around on the planet for longer than any of us thought. She’s put on a bit of weight, eats enthusiastically, goes on short slow walks, and hasn’t stopped wagging her tail since I brought her home!" It's a happy day when we're able to do a u-turn on a dog that faces such difficult odds. Gemma lived for another year and a half - a very happy girl.

Sweet old Mason showed up in a Los Angeles shelter at the end of his life. He was somebody's pet at one time, already neutered and clearly loved. BR's Bullyhaven Project is able to help a tiny handful of displaced seniors each year, and Mason won the lucky ticket back in July of '07.

He went to stay with Steve and Nicole in San Diego before coming to SF to live at Bullyhaven headquarters. This fine fellow made many dog friends during his golden years and received endless snuggles and pampering. He passed on exactly one year later, a much loved pooch. Mason will be dearly missed. He was a special reminder to all of us how absolutely wonderful senior bullies can be. Thank you Susi and Charlie, for caring so much.

We met this silly boy when he came into Oakland Animal Services as a stray. He was as sweet as he was excitable...A perfect project dog for our Ambassadog Program. Bemis lived at the shelter while we worked on teaching him good manners. He fell into line quick for the training team but he also knew how to take advantage of a soft hearted handler by turning into Mr. Super Spazz, gyrating on the ground when he didn't want to follow directions. What a dork! He attracted the attention of Carly and Bruce, who were looking for a super social dog to add to their family. Luckily, they know how to let a dog have a good time while keeping those basic manners in check. Diesel moved into their home and started a fun friendship with their female dog Scarlet. We love watching him with his new people - they bring out the best in him and in turn, he gives them plenty of reason to laugh!

Natasha had no intention of getting a pit bull when she came to visit a dog at Oakland Animal Services, but this goofy dork of a dog caught her eye. Harley was in our Ambassadog program at the time and was rolling around and acting like a first class clown when she spied him. She was sucked right in to his charms. It took some convincing, but she made a plea to her husband to give him a look. They made several visits to see him - each time warmed them up ever so slowly to the thought of having a - gasp - pit bull in their life. Soon Harley was in their home, playing the part of perfect pet. They tell us that he's done an excellent job helping their once-worried friends and family recognize how wonderful his breed can be. It didn't take much! We're so proud of Natasha and Ash for giving this boy a chance.  See Harley's Movie

Texas came to us as a sweet lil' pup from Oakland Animal Services. She was a wee bit shy at first, but she bloomed quickly with a little help from new friends.
While Tex was learning about the world and getting her bearings within our program, Judy was starting to look for a companion that would be a friend to her brother's dog and maybe even find a job as a therapy dog. They seemed perfectly suited when they finally met; Tex's tender style was a natural for therapy work and Judy got busy getting her certified immediately. We are so proud of both these ladies and love knowing that they're a team. Welcome home Sweet Texas!

Daddy-O came into Oakland Animal Services when kennels were full. This spelled trouble for the senior boy. We didn't sleep well the night before he was set to be put to sleep, but all we could do was hope for a last minute miracle. Little did we know that the miracle would show up for an appointment to work on our mobile office. Holly is a contracter and had volunteered to help us with trailer repairs on that fated day. Daddy-O came out to the yard for a final romp...and the rest is history. Our big headed boy drove home with Holly to be a foster dog and he never looked back. He now shares his home for keeps with his big hearted contracter friend, her partner Magnus and their two other dogs. Thanks for reminding us to never give up Daddy-O. And forever thanks to his new people for jumping in to help him when he needed you most.

See that proud face? That belongs to Sasha Gibbs, and she has every reason to be peacock happy with her boy. Ernie had great dog manners in VA, but when he moved to CA, he became a bit of a tweaker on leash. We can't really blame him; the poor boy had a lot of changes not to mention pressure - a Vick dog under the media microscope, and all. Most dogs have wiggle room in their street manners and a naughty labradoodle will barely earn a glance from the public, but Ernie had to be better than that. So we switched him into a quieter setting where he could re-start his training. Sasha and Andy worked their butts off under the guidance of trainer Linda Chwistek to help Ernie improve, and week by week, he did. When the day came that Ernie received a good adoption application, we saw Sasha's face drain of color. She ran off to make a phone call (calling Andy, we presume) and returned about two minutes later to tell us that they wanted to adopt him as theirs for keeps. Of course we were thrilled! To sweeten the story, Ernie went on to earn his CGC. Sasha, Andy, trainer Linda and Ernie showed everyone what's possible with training and determination. Huzzah!

The husky in this photo was adopted by badrappers Tim and Donna from an Idaho rescue in the spring of '10. Elliot went right to work helping them socialize the many BR pit bulls that come through the program. One of his first projects was a group of tiny puppies - he countless hours playing with them. Here's a little video of their love affair. Imagine our delight when Elliot's rescuers (shown here) went ahead and adopted one of Elliot's pups! Elektra is now right at home with their huskies in Idaho. And - you guessed it - one of her very important jobs is to mentor the husky foster dogs that move through the rescue. We're so thrilled that this connection has come full circle. The Family's Rescue.

Bubbles (on the left) showed up tied to the fence of an empty warehouse in Oakland. Lucky for him, he was spied by James and Inga - two pit bull affectionados and members of BR's family. They reluctantly brought him to Oakland Anmal Services to wait out his fate, but Inga couldn't stop thinking about her beautiful foundling.

After a couple of weeks of hand-wringing, he came home to live with blue bombshell Gabby as a BR foster dog. Well, you can just imagine how this played out! The two dogs became fast friends and their caretakers couldn't bare to break up the team. Bubbles was officially adopted to his Good samaritans. We just love when things works out this way. Thank you for sticking your necks out for a homeless dog, James and Inga ... and Gabby!